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Spiritual Autobiography

Spiritual autobiography is a non-fictional form which rose to
prominence in seventeenth-century England, although its roots can
be traced as far back as such works of the early Christian
tradition as St. Augustine’s Confessions. The form’s basic
concern is to trace the progress of an individual believer from a
state of sin to a state of grace, where the conviction takes hold
that salvation has been guaranteed by God. Given the concentration
on the individual, the form appealed most to Protestants, in
particular the more militant sectarian movements (Baptists,
Quakers, etc.) who broke away from the Church of England over the
course of the seventeenth century - a period of marked religious
division in English history. …

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1377Spiritual Autobiography2Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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